GOP ballot drive would limit Marin supervisors to 3 terms

Contending that county government has become stagnant due to an "entrenched incumbency," leaders of the Marin Republican Central Committee filed formal notice Wednesday that they intend to circulate an initiative petition to limit county supervisors to 12 years in office.

The petition drive, if successful, would result in a ballot measure requiring majority approval. If approved, supervisors Steve Kinsey and Susan Adams would be barred from running again, as would anyone else who had served for 12 years. Although the county posts are nonpartisan, all current supervisors are Democrats.

The GOP group, joined by Novato supervisorial candidate Toni Shroyer, a Democrat, said the county needs to tap into Marin's diverse citizenry for fresh civic leadership by barring people from serving for more than three four-year terms.

"By making this ordinance retroactive, it will immediately set a new course for the county by purging those who already reached the new term limits and preventing others who have served previously from serving again, thereby allowing immediate opportunities for newcomers to serve," the petitioners said in a "statement of reasons."

The petition, filed with Registrar of Voters Elaine Ginnold, must be reviewed and summarized by county lawyers by Dec. 2, then published by the petitioners. At that point, the group has 180 days to gather the signatures of 11,418 registered voters to force a ballot measure.

Ginnold said election staff as usual will remain "totally neutral" on the matter. "We're going to do our due diligence," she noted.

Board president Judy Arnold issued a cautious statement.

"I have always believed term limits are up to the voters in the ballot box," Arnold said. "If they are not happy with their supervisor, they can vote them out after one term," she added. "I believe the constituents in my district have benefited from the experience I have gained over the last seven years as a supervisor. However the decision to support or oppose term limits will ultimately be decided by the voters should the initiative qualify for the ballot."

Supervisor Kinsey was in the middle of a state Coastal Commission meeting and relayed word he thus "had no comment at this point."

The petitioners' statement pulled no punches. "The purpose of this initiative, by limiting the number of terms a county supervisor may serve, is to nurture a strong county government by developing its civic leaders from our creative and diverse citizenry; promote a citizen government by fostering increased said diversity, and competition, through rotation in office; prevent the establishment of entrenched incumbency and limit the control of campaign contributors in county government," it said. "If a member of the Board of Supervisors cannot accomplish their goals in 12 years, they will not accomplish them in 30."

Further, "It is time to provide other members of our community an opportunity to exercise their civic duty and represent their district constituents over the moneyed interests whose advantages become embedded over a long period of time."

The petition move is aimed at placing an initiative on the November 2014 ballot and follows a GOP poll indicating dissatisfaction with the county board — as well as support from voters of all parties for term limits.

The measure reads: "Shall an ordinance be adopted providing that no person serve more than a total of (3) terms of four years each as a member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, whether served consecutively or nonconsecutively, with a term defined as having served a 50 percent or greater portion of a term of four years, whether elected or appointed, counting as a full term?"

The petition was signed by Kevin W. Krick of Fairfax, Thomas E. Montgomery of San Rafael, Toni F. Shroyer of Novato, Morgan R. Kelley of San Rafael and John Wilkinson of San Rafael.

Coincidentally, the petition drive seeking to oust veteran incumbents comes as the county mounts a publicity campaign called "Your county at work," a 20-page public relations pamphlet that will be distributed this weekend by news outlets including the Independent Journal. The document indicates that the many good things happening at Civic Center would not be possible without the leadership of the Board of Supervisors.